You don’t have to be Irish to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. All you need is a little green garb and a festive spirit.
Here are a few activities to get your celebration started:
TATER TOM LEPRECHAUN
Large potato, washed and dried
Knife
Olive slice eyes, carrot round ears, celery slice nose, bell pepper strip mouth
Toothpick pieces or straight pins
Oven, preheated to 300 degrees
Old cookie sheet
Styrofoam cup
Green acrylic paint
Paintbrush
Black and yellow construction paper
Pencil
Ruler
Scissors
Glue
1. Slice off the bottom end of the potato so it stands independently on a flat surface.
2. Use toothpick pieces to insert facial features. Set potato aside.
3. Place Styrofoam cup, bottom facing up, on the cookie sheet. Bake for two minutes or until it shrinks to resemble a small hat. Cool.
4. Cover exterior of hat with green paint. Let dry.
5. Measure and cut a strip of black paper that is ¾-inch thick and long enough to wrap around the lower end of the cup to create a hat band.
6. Measure and cut a square from yellow paper then hollow out the center so it resembles a buckle.
7. Glue the band and buckle in place. Place on top of Tater Tom leprechaun.
8. Add vegetable eyes, ears , nose and mouth.
TASTY RAINBOW FINGERPAINT
Six zip sandwich bags
Cool Whip whipped topping or vanilla pudding
Food coloring
Scissors
Cookie Sheet
Camera
1. Place one-half cup of whipped topping into each of the six bags.
2. To get the colors of the rainbow place the following drops of food coloring into each bag: Red bag, 3 drops red; orange bag, 2 drops red, 3 yellow; yellow bag, 3 drops yellow; green bag, 3 drops yellow, 1 blue; blue bag, 3 drops blue; violet bag, 5 drops red, 1 blue.
3. Remove excess air from each bag before zipping closed.
4. Mix food coloring with the whipped cream in each bag by pressing it with your fingers until the colors blend.
5. Use scissors to snip off the bottom corner of each bag.
6. Squirt whipped cream onto a cookie sheet and use your fingers to draw a picture. Take a snapshot to remember your masterpiece then gobble up your creation.
SHIMMERY SHAMROCK CARD
Heart-shaped stencil, small
Green and white construction paper
Pencil
Scissors
Glue
Paintbrush
Green Glitter
Markers
1. Use stencil, pencil and green paper to create three hearts. Cut out.
2. Fold white construction paper in half to make a card.
3. On the front side of the card, glue hearts in a cluster with the bottom ends of the hearts overlapping to create a shamrock. Cut out a stem from the remaining green paper and glue in place.
4. Use a paintbrush to spread glue over the shamrock leaves and stem. Sprinkle with green glitter and shake off excess. Let dry.
5. Write “Happy St. Patrick’s Day” on the front cover with a marker. Open the card and include this festive greeting, or create one of your own: “May your blessings outnumber the shamrocks that grow, and may trouble avoid you wherever you go.”
ST. PATTY’S POSIES
Carnations, daisies or other white flowers
Glass with water
Green food coloring
Green ribbon
1. Place five drops of food coloring into the glass of water.
2. Cut flower stem ends at an angle and place in colored water.
3. Wait 24 hours. Water will travel through the stalk and turn the white flowers green.
4. Gather into a bouquet, tie a green ribbon around the stems and give as a gift.
-Denise Morrison Yearian is the former editor of two parenting magazines and the mother of three children.
